Elastic-band structure



March 25, l930.

l... NAcHMAN ET Al. .1,751,595

ELASTIC BAND STRUCTURE Filed Deo. 8, 1927 Patented Mar.v 25, 1930 `UNITI-:nf STATES PATENT OFFICE yiniAsTTC-BAnn. STRUCTURE Applcationled December 8, 1927. Serial No. 23,8.,486.

Y The object of our invention is to provide an elastic bandY structure especially adapted for use in garters, arm bands, belts and the like, wherein a flat elastic band is incased within a pleated covering of tubular k-nitted fabric, whereby the pleated incasing fabric' will expand and contract co-eXtensively with the expansion and contraction of the elastic band and, at the Sametime, provide an artistic and attractive outer surface.

Our invention also comprehends other features of construction which, together with those above enumerated, will be betterunderstood by reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a transverse section through a piece of tubular knit fabric of relatively smallV diameter; Fig. 2 is a side view of a strip of our improved elastic fabric; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same; Fig. 4 is an edge view of the fabric on a larger scale and with a portion of the tubular knitted casing cut away; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which the tubular fabric is pleated before being assembled with the Y' elastic band; Fig. 6 is'an edge view illustrating how the fabric may have its ends united, as in the case of garters and sleeve bands; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a garter, embodying our invention; and Fig. 8 is a side view of a belt embodying our invention.

2 is a strip of tubular knit fabric which is flattened and run through pleating rolls which pleat the two-ply fabric so provided into a zigzag form, said rolls (notshown) being heated during the pleating and pressing operation. The treatment in this manner is indica-ted in Fig. 5, wherein the pleating provides oppositely directed saw-tooth constructions as indicated at'3.

The tubularv fabric, whensor pleated, ha its sides spread apart and a strip of flat elastic fabric 4 is inserted between the two connected plies, as will be clearly understood by reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4. It will now be seen that if such a fabric, as here'indicated, is extended, not only will the elastic band 4 be stretched but the incasing tubular knitted fabric will also be extended withthe extension of the elastic band, and'reversely, will contract and assume its former condition Thek fabricfis, there`fore, as a whole, very elastic. Y

A fabricV of this character may have the outer tubular part 2 formed of silk or othery artistic fiber to give a highly finished appearance, whereas thev elastic portion may be constructed in a strong and more substantial manner and requiring no ornamentation.

In forming the tubular knitted fabric 2, itv may be made in any of the well known met-hods of knitting tubular fabrics and, moreover, may be knitted with threads of different colors and said colors may appear in spiral forni about the tubular fabric and, when pleated, provide a variegated or wavy design of an artistic nature.

lA band of this character may be'looped into a circle, as indicated at 8, to form a garter or arm band, and the free ends may be secured in any suitable manner and ornamented. One manner of accomplishing this is to foldback the eXtreme ends upon themselves and unite them by a line of stitching, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 6, and such a seam may be covered by an ornamental transverse band ,7 decorated with a flower or ribbon design, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 7. VV'e do not confine ourselves as to the manner of making such connection or ornamentation thereof.

Vhen employed as a belt 9, the fabric strip embodying our improvements may be connected at one end to a buckle lOvand at the other end provided with a tip ll. There may be also the usual retaining barv 12 to receive the end of' the belt after passing through the buckle. When used for belt purposes, the

` elasticity of the band 4 maybe very much less than'that which is desirable when employing theimproved fabric'foi garters or sleeve bands: i v

lVhere greater firmness is" desired between the tubular knitted and pleated vcasing part 3l andthe elastic band part 4, one or more A"lines of stitching longitudinally of the article vmay be' employed, as indicated in Fig. 2. In f vthis case, we have indicated stitches 13 adjacent to the s-elvages or edges and at V14 along the middle. It will beV understood that either er both of such lines f stitching maybe eml Ywhenthe 'elasticl band-is allowed to contract.

ployed. It is desirable that this stitching shall be done when the elastic band and the tubular knitted fabric are stretched, so that no strain will come upon the stitches in subsequent stretching of the article. The employment of these lines of stitches is to definitely position the tubular knitted fabric upon the elastic band to prevent any undue transverse movement of the tubular fabric about the core or elastic band 4, and to maintain the most desirable portions of the pleating upon the outside and inside ofthe fabric structure, where they best cooperate in the elasticity thereof.

It is also desirable that the tubular knitted fabric shall not have excessive elasticity, and in view of the fact thatthe extensibility is provided for by the pleating, the transverse elasticity may be made a minimum so as to snugly fit the elastic band 4 at all times and reduce the freedom of transverse shifting of the tubular casing relatively to the elastic band.

It is further pointed out that, by reason of the fact that the pleated knitted fabric when flattened into a two-ply structure, as indicated in Fig. 5, has the said plies spread apart suiciently for the introduction of the flat elastic band 4, as indicated in Fig. 4, the pleated plies will, from the nature of their structure, embody a yielding or cushioning quality and thereby give softness in contact with the wearer, even though the fibers of the threads employed in the knitting are of a more or less stiff character suitable to retaining the accordion pleating which is impressed upon the fabric in accordance with this invention.

While we do not restrict ourselves in respect to the textile material of which the knitted tubular fabric is made, it is preferable that the same shall be of a character that will assume the positive pleated form and retain it, and this result will be better secured where the fiber has a more or less hard character, such as artificial silk and vegetable bers.

It will now be apparent that we have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable, Vand while we have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the details, as the same are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having now describedour invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. An elastic fabricated band for use in the manufacture of garters, sleeve brands, and

pleatings of the two plies of the seamless knitted fabric are respectively inclined in opposite directions on the opposite sides of the flat elastic band and supported thereby. 2. rlfhe invention according to claim l, wherein further, the pleatings of the two knitted plies are creased into oblique connecting relation over the edges of the flat elastic band between said plies.

In testimony of which invention, we have hereunto set our hands.

LOUIS NACHMAN. SAMUEL FINKELSTEIN.

the like, comprising a seamless ,tubular c 

